Beyond Words, the annual fall gala hosted by the Friends of the Princeton Public Library took place on Saturday, September 17. This year’s special guests were Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout and novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz who spoke at Nassau Presbyterian Church. After the talk, guests gathered at Hinds Plaza for a book signing and cocktails followed by a silent auction and dinner. more

This depiction of the Rutgers-Princeton game of 1869 was painted by William Boyd, Rutgers Class of 1932. Since photographs of the game were not taken, Boyd’s painting has become the standard representation of the first intercollegiate football game.

The Football Game That Started It All

By Wendy Plump

Images Courtesy: Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

The game was held on a November afternoon, so the ground must have been wicked hard. They played without shoulder pads or shin guards. They played without helmets. There were no officials and no referees. The rules of play were adopted that very morning based on the home team’s wishes, and presumably on its strengths. There were uprights at each end of the field but there were no crossbars. more

Painting: The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton January 3, 1777.

By Taylor Smith

“Hamilton” has become something of a phenomenon.

The play won 11 Tony Awards, including best musical, as well as a Pulitzer Prize for drama and a Grammy Award for best musical theater album. Additional awards include the Kennedy Prize for Drama and a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The musical’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has freestyled for President Obama and a national tour is set for 2017. more

Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time: Swann’s Way: A Graphic Novel (Liveright/Norton $26.95) may be the most luxurious book of its kind. Picture a 224-page landmark amid a perfect storm of classic graphics that includes R. Crumb’s Kafka, Jacques Fernandez’s illustrated edition of Camus’s The Stranger, a graphic Odyssey, a graphic Macbeth, but nothing comparable to Stéphane Huet’s daring adaptation of a complex work that could have been pitched with the old slogan, “They said it couldn’t be done!” more

It is now easier than ever to learn a new skill through e-learning tools, such as online programming and education. These courses have the ability to improve your lifestyle, health, wellness, and overall quality of life. Sign up today and perhaps you will be fluent in French by this time next year!

Move to the head of the class with these stylish products.

The 2016 Princeton Children’s Book Festival will be held on Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hinds Plaza and the Princeton Public Library. The event has recently featured many prestigious children’s book authors and illustrators, such as Aaron Becker, E.B. Lewis, Jerry Pinkney, Steve Sheinkin, Rosemary Wells, and Rita Williams-Garcia, amongst others. more

Modern rings for a modern woman.

Pictured: Special Exhibition Tour at Princeton University Art Museum: “Ansel Adams to Edward Weston – Celebrating the Legacy of David H. McAlpin” on Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. Free to attend. Tours meet at the entrance to the Museum.

Bring your kids – and your imagination – to meet the acclaimed author/illustrator on June 13.

Best-selling children’s book author/illustrator Hervé Tullet presents his latest book “My Stencil Kit,” Monday, June 13, at 5 p.m. on the third floor of Princeton Public Library. He will also demonstrate his craft and answers questions. more

7:30 p.m.: Join Princeton Shopping Center for a live performance of “School of Rock” followed by the screening on the original movie. The outdoor screening will take place outside of Smith’s ACE Hardware and Princeton Nassau Pediatrics. Guests should bring their own blankets and lawn chairs. more

This evening, in honor of National Cancer Survivors Day 2016, co-anchor of the Today’s show and breast cancer survivor Hoda Kotb will be coming to the Princeton Hyatt Regency in the Carnegie Center. more

According to Caroline Seebohm’s Cottages and Mansions of the Jersey Shore (Rivergate/Rutgers University Press $39.95), which features Peter C. Cook’s evocative photography, “the essence of New Jersey in all its beauty, tragedy, toughness, and diversity” can be found in that 127-mile-long stretch of coastline from Atlantic Highlands to Cape May. more

Thursday, May 26

9AM-5PMThe Arts Council of Princeton presents “Start Fresh,” a group exhibition curated by Eva Mantell. The exhibit brings together the work of 6 artists and nearly 80 students from the Arts Council’s art and health programs (on view through June 24). www.artscouncilofprinceton.org

ALL DAY The Alumni Association of Princeton University welcomes back generations of graduates for Reunions Weekend. Nearly 20,000 former Tigers descend on Princeton for this nostalgia-filled celebration. The event culminates with a parade through downtown Princeton (through Sunday, May 29). www.alumni.princeton.edumore

During the summer of Kristina Lindbergh’s 14th year, she spent a week with her famous grandparents, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, at their home in Switzerland. While she has pleasant recollections of the visit, the eldest of the famous couple’s grandchildren distinctly remembers being captive for at least one of her grandfather’s lectures.more